1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hair iron for curling hairs.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Conventionally, this kind of hair iron comprises a hair curling body having an outer peripheral surface on which hairs are wound, a clip for holding the hairs between the clip and the outer peripheral surface of the hair curling body and a heater for heating the hair curling body. In using the hair iron, it is likely that the user will feel heat, and there is a slight chance that the user might be burned, if the user were to allow the heated hair curling body to come into contact with the skin.
To avoid the risk of getting burned, Japanese unexamined Utility Model Publication No. Sho 52-74868 suggests that a plurality of rib-shaped guards extending in a circumferential direction of the hair curling body are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the hair curling body. The guards are connected by a plurality of connecting rods and are disposed at certain intervals in an axial direction of the hair curling body. The guards prevent the outer peripheral surface of the hair curling body from coming into direct contact with the skin of the user of the hair iron. The guards are formed so as to be rib-shaped members which extend in the circumferential direction of the hair curling body so as not to disturb the hairs, when the hairs are wound around the hair curling body of the hair iron.
In the hair iron disclosed in the above-mentioned publication, there have been the following drawbacks. The connecting rods connecting the guards are positioned above an outer peripheral surface of the hair curling body. Thus, when hairs are wound around the hair curling body to curl the hairs, the presence of the connecting rods causes the hairs not to come into direct contact with the outer peripheral surface of the hair curling body. As a result, heat is not sufficiently transferred from the hair curling body to the hairs to be curled, resulting in insufficient hair curl and leaving marks on the hairs. Furthermore, when the curled hairs wound around the hair curling body are removed from being curled around the hair curling body, the hairs tend to cling to the connecting rods, resulting in uneasy detachment of the hairs from the hair curling body.